Kansas judge expands vote to thousands

Shawnee County district Judge Larry Hendricks ordered the state of Kansas to count votes in the primary election from people who registered without proof of citizenship. This blocked a rule from Kansas’s Secretary of State, which would have prevented 17,500 citizens from voting in state and local elections.

The order is only temporary; in September, Hendricks will hold another hearing to decide whether or not to block the rule in November’s general election as well. If he does keep the decision, up to 50,000 people could be enfranchised.

The court’s decision is another step in repairing the damage done to the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Courts must continue to recognize that strict identification requirements disproportionately affect minorities, and are detrimental to our democracy.